1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is related to a mass storage device and more particularly to a mass storage device with removable storage media and methods of testing the removable storage media.
2. Background Description
Data storage systems administering data stored on removable storage media, such as an automated storage media (e.g., tape cartridges) and retrieval library for storing and accessing removable storage media, are well known in the art. Typically, there was no efficient way to test storage media for such storage systems to find out if the media is viable. Testing storage media in a tape library required inserting the media into the library database, performing the test, and ejecting the media. Testing was not possible when the library is full. Normally, hosts systems administered physical volumes in connected data storage subsystems. The hosts loaded volume information into a tape configuration database, a tape management systems database and, perhaps, into a virtual media server database and library manger database in the storage subsystem as well. This time and resource consuming process was necessary to test media for viability. Also, media could not be tested if the library were full.
Thus, there is a need for a storage media device capable of testing whether storage media is viable and in particular, even when a storage library in the storage media device testing the media is full.